Hondo joins Lampre-Farnese Vini's bid to dethrone Cavendish

Danilo Hondo has found his way into the ProTour for 2010 by signing with the Italian Lampre - Farnese Vini team. This marks the German's return to the top level of the sport after testing positive for Carphedon in 2005 while riding for the Gerolsteiner team.

Hondo's doping ban ended in April 2007, but until now he has not been able to sign with a big team. Since his return to competition he has ridden for Team Lamonta, Katusha, SERRAMENTI PVC Diquigiovanni, and most recently Czech Professional Continental team PSK Whirlpool-Author. Hondo had three wins this season with PSK Whirlpool-Author, with Prague-Karlsbad-Prague in September his most recent.

The 35-year-old turned professional in 1998 with the Agro Adler Brandenbrug team, moving on to Team Telekom the following year. He stayed with the German team until 2004 when he switched over to the Gerolsteiner team, which was also German.

Hondo's breakout season was in 2001 when he won two stages of the Giro d'Italia. He followed it up in 2002 with a stage win in the Volta a Catalunya, the German National Road Championship title, and stage wins in both the Hessen-Rundfahrt and Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt. In 2005 Hondo won two stages in the Vuelta a Murcia and finished second in Milan-Sanremo before testing positive later that year.

His signing will add some needed depth to the leadout train for Lampre-Farnese Vini team leader Alessandro Petacchi. The Italian team will be up against Columbia-HTC's Mark Cavendish who was virtually unstoppable in 2009. Petacchi was one of only two riders to get the best of the British rider in a sprint this past season.